Milk tart is such a traditional South African favourite that giving it a special day on the national calendar does make sense. On 27 February South Africans have a very good reason to enjoy one of their favourite sweets, it is National Milk Tart Day!

We would like to share a traditional recipe from a cookbook, Tipiese Suid-Afrikaanse Reseppe – Solank as die lepel in die pappot staan.

We found the copy in the La Motte Museum as part of the Tribute to Pierneef exhibition – Pierneef illustrated the cover!

Cookbook with typical South African recipes and cover by JH Pierneef as part of the Pierneef exhibition in the La Motte Museum.

Ou Hollandse Melktert – Old Dutch Milk Tart

Ingredients:

500 ml milk

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp butter

2 eggs

1 Tbsp corn flour

Whole cinnamon

Method:

Bring milk with cinnamon stick to the boil.

Mix sugar and corn flour and slowly add the warm milk to the mixture. Stir thoroughly.

Pour the mix back into the pot, put back onto the heat and stir continuously until it thickens.

Turn heat down, cover the pot and cook for a further 15 minutes – stirring regularly.

Now take the pot off the heat and stir in the butter.

Allow to cool off slightly.

Whisk the eggs and add to the cooled mixture – stirring well as soon as the eggs have been added.

Butter the dish and line with pastry.

Pour the mix into the dish and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

Turn down the heat during the last 10 minutes.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.